Western-Star.com

COLUMBUS — The Ohio House is preparing legislation aimed at making sure other Ohioans don't face the kind of government snooping that Samuel Joseph — "Joe the Plumber" — Wurzelbacher was subjected to during the presidential campaign.

House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, said on Friday, Nov. 14, that the goal is to enact the legislation before lawmakers adjourn for the year.

Gov. Ted Strickland would be willing to look at such a proposal but believes it is important to consider information that Inspector General Tom Charles comes up with in his probe of the "Joe the Plumber" situation, Keith Dailey, Strickland's spokesman, said.

In a related development, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio on Friday renewed its call for Strickland and other state officials to enact regulations protecting private information on state databases in the wake of the "Joe the Plumber" incident.

State Rep. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, is expected to sponsor the bill and said it should be ready for consideration week after next.

"This is a foundational issue," Jones said. "Government ought not be used for muckraking expeditions."

Husted said the bill would provide penalties stiff enough to dissuade people from improperly using government databases and to provide whistle blowers with protection. Also, it is expected to require state agencies to put their policies for handling personal information on their Web sites.

"The idea behind state databases has always been ... to protect people. ... They were never designed as a method of doing ... political opposition research," Husted said.

Charles is investigating the use of databases in the Job and Family Services Department to gather personal information on Wurzelbacher, including whether he owed child support, unemployment compensation taxes or was receiving public assistance.

Department director Helen Jones-Kelley of Clayton said there was nothing wrong with the check and suggested it was common practice to do research on Ohioans in the news. She also said results were not "publicly shared."

The search occurred after Wurzelbacher, of suburban Toledo, emerged as a key figure in the presidential race by questioning Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's tax policies. Wurzelbacher later joined Republican John McCain on the campaign trail.

Charles also is investigating Jones-Kelley's alleged use of her state e-mail account to raise money for Obama. Strickland has placed Jones-Kelley on paid administrative leave pending Charles' investigation.

Charles had said his investigation might be finished this week but on Friday said it still was in the works.